Monthly Archives: February 2015

As most of the Northeast and Midwest is locked in a seemingly never ending cycle of snow and cold some carry problems present themselves. Cold weather might seem to make carrying concealed easier but that’s not always true. While it is easier to conceal a handgun when extra clothing must be warn for warmth that same extra clothing can make accessing that firearm difficult in a dangerous situation.

The 21 foot rule is a rule that says an attacker with a knife can close that or a lesser distance and disable an armed individual before they’re able to draw and fire a weapon. I have my own rule to overcome the 21 foot rule, I actually just thought of it, it’s called the Electric Slide Rule. You know the song, slide to the left, slide to the right. If you’re being charged by someone with a knife slide to their weak side while drawing your firearm. Knife in right hand, slide to their left or your right. Knife in left hand, slide to their right or your left. Pretty simple. Moving backwards is an option as well.

I’m considered a fashionable man, that’s without question. So when I started carrying a firearm I had to figure out how to stay stylish but still carry in all 4 seasons. I had options. I could’ve started dressing in those horrible flame button up shirts or those shirts that look like a table cloth, you know the ones, they have those little brightly colored squares. I could’ve moved to a place that’s warm all the time, I like cold weather so that didn’t happen. Finally, the option I chose was to try on every piece of clothing I was deciding to buy and see if it concealed my firearm. That may seem tedious, and it is but what I have now is a bunch of clothes I know will conceal my pistol. Most hoodies work great for concealment. Jackets are another story. I try to avoid jackets that are tight around the waste because that can make getting your hand underneath them and your gun out from under them tough. I like peacoats. They’re fashionable, loose, and aren’t disgustingly ugly like those horrid Columbia jackets. Columbia fleece works great though.

So if you’re new to carrying or having trouble concealing your gun the solution is easy. Take whatever your going to buy into the changing room at the store, put it on, look at yourself in the mirror, and practice drawing your gun a few times. If you can conceal and draw your gun easily then you’re good to go.

Everyone has an opinion about Glocks. They range from “A Glock 19 is the only gun you’ll ever need” to “Don’t waste your time with Glocks, they do a lot of things good but nothing great”. My opinion on Glocks, like my opinion in most things, falls about right in the middle. I own a couple Glocks and I like them, but if I were to need some quick cash one of those Glocks would be going to a new home.

The opinion that Glocks do a lot of things good but nothing great has merit. The triggers aren’t great. The ergonomics are abysmal unless you’re lucky enough to have the perfect hand size and shape. They’re no longer the must have semi auto of law enforcement. In recent years they’ve released guns that fail to live up to expectation, the Glock 42. The looks of the gun, well let’s just say they’re lacking.

Companies have made a lot of money copying Glock. Glock has made a lot of money with innovative business ideas. Their semi autos, by comparison, are on the lower end of the price range compared to the other quality gun manufacturers. That money you’ll save can be put towards a new trigger or paying someone to customize the grips for you. As someone who has put new triggers in all his Glocks and spent many an hour shaving down grips I’ll tell you this, it’s fairly simple. Glock is also a company that, most likely, will have what you want to buy. Whether that’s a subcompact .357sig or a long slide 10mm. Glocks also do something every gun should, they work every time. Rain, cold, or snow it doesn’t matter, a properly cared for Glock will go boom, every single time.

So if you’re in the market for a new or first handgun take a look at Glocks. Go to the range, rent one, and make your own decision. Rent a SIG, M&P and Springfield too, do your own comparison. Gone are the days of steel and walnut, Black is the new Gun.

I have a friend that’s a graduate of the Parris Island School for Wayward Boys, he loves to remind me why rifles are the best home defense weapon. So this last post in the trio is dedicated to him. Semper Fibula! Or whatever.

Rifles of all kinds are popular for home defense. For the sake of brevity I’ll examine the three most popular: bolt action, lever action, and semi automatic.

Many people discount the bolt action rifle as a legitimate home defense weapon. They have their reasons, some of which are good. I’m not hear to trash any weapon. Except .22s, they’re horrible. Anyway, BARs have many advantages as HD guns. Most modern BARs are chambered in hunting calibers powerful enough to at least take down medium sized game such as hogs or whitetail deer. A good rule to go by if you choose a BAR as your HD gun is that if it’ll kill a deer in one shot it’ll kill your attacker in one shot. The amount of rounds you’ll, most commonly, be giving up is more than made up for with the power of the rounds you have. The 30-06 Springfield is a personal favorite because, well, you aren’t reading this in German or Japanese are ya?

Lever action rifles are all around the best of the hunting rifles. No matter the job a LAR will get the job done. Some LARs are also chambered in pistol calibers so they’ll give you more accuracy and ammunition than your typical revolver or semi auto pistol. The 30-30 winchester is BY FAR the most common caliber LARs come in and there’s no denying its effectiveness on both dangerous and/or tasty game. I would caution against using a rifle chambered in 45-70 for home defense. They’ve been known to penetrate multiple houses and obviously that’s not good.

Last and black riflest are semi automatic rifles. AR’s and AKs being the most common, actually, most common doesn’t do them justice. It’s more like they’re freaking everywhere these days! Almost all of them come with picatinny rails so you can attach all sorts of stuff on to them. Lights and sights being the most popular. Need to open a cold one while defending the homestead? There’s an attachment for that. Want to store extra batteries for the living room tv? You can do that. Short barrels and red dot or holographic sights are best for close quarters work. I’ll note though that outfitting an AR or AK for home defense will be the most expensive option of the three I’ve discussed.

This brings us to the end of my three part home defense series. Thank God.

On a serious note, parts the 101st and 82nd airborne divisions will be deploying to Afghanistan this year. Deployments are brutally hard on both those deployed and those at home. Help those effected out if you can. If you’re willing, email me at TactPunk@outlook.com and I’ll be happy to put you in touch with some great people or charities.

For those who choose to defend their home with a firearm handguns are usually the choice. I have no data to back up that claim but damnit, if Brian Williams doesn’t need data than neither do I!

Handguns are popular for home defense for a lot of reasons. They’re way easier to conceal in the home because nobody wants nosy Mrs. Anderson next store to know they’re packing heat. Handguns are also much easier and cheaper to lock away from children, pets, and liberals.

When choosing a handgun solely for home defense it’s important to remember a few things. First, they’re harder to shoot accurate than their longer cousins, the shotgun and the rifle. Second, because you won’t be carrying this gun in public, it makes sense to go with a full size pistol or revolver. Third, most pistols and a few revolvers come with picatinny rails, so don’t be afraid to mount optics, lights, or lasers.

As with any home defense weapon practice is important. In the local news recently there was an incident of a resident defending himself with a handgun from an armed attacker. The two exchanged a total of 13 shots from a range of one to six yards. Thankfully the resident lived but he sure learned a hard lesson about accuracy. Limited practice won’t prepare you for a close range blood and guts gunfight, but the muscle memory you develop will give you a better chance of survival.

A full size pistol or rifle will give you added advantages in defending your home. More ammo equals a better chance of hitting your attacker before reloading. Full size handguns also allow you to shoot a larger caliber more comfortably. A larger caliber will cause more damage and causing damage is the point when it comes to defending yourself, your family, and your home.

Weapon attachments such as optics, lights, and lasers will help your accuracy in a gun fight. I’m admittedly not a fan of optics on handguns but for a novice shooter they have advantages. Lights can help you see your attacker better and seeing him/her before they see you is a huge advantage. Lights will also help you distinguish a baseball bat from a shotgun, which in some states is the difference between jail and freedom. Lasers, besides helping you aim, can also have a psychological impact on your attacker. For instance, an unarmed attacker may run at the sight of a laser because they rightly, in most cases, assume it’s attached to a gun. Most home invasions are crimes of opportunity, that’s why they commonly happen late at night or early in the morning.